Lacoste ... C'est Française!

When I thought of the brand Lacoste, it reminds me of two things - the crocodile and confusion. While the reptile is synonymously associated with the brand through its cute logo, the confusion are likely to arise whenever I stumbled upon the brand Crocodile.

Here's a myth from a friend - the brand Lacoste is known as Lacoste outside Malaysia. If within Malaysia, the brand is known as Crocodile. For several years I stuck to the myth that my friend preached and it wasn't till last year when Lacoste opens its first two stores in Malaysia - one at One Utama and the other at Starhill Gallery.

From a simple chat with the store assistants at its Isetan Lot 10 concession, I learned that Crocodile and Lacoste are two different brands. Great, now I've learned something about brands with similar identities.

Anyway, Fall comes early at Lacoste's runway show in Paris on the first Sunday of the month. Foliage in flaming hues of red, yellow and brown were scattered on the runway floor with (maybe) a scene from a European forest in Fall as its backdrop created an exact autumnal ambiance to the preview. Creative director, Christophe Lemaire gained his inspirations for the new collection from the mid-seventies French movies.

Separates and assembles of navy-white blazer worn over navy-white striped top, mahogany calfskin jacket with fur details on the collar, brown suede blazer with khaki corduroy pants and knitted vest, striped shirts and leather boots were the key pieces paraded at the runway show.

For Spring, which has already hit the local stores and concessionaires, the key pieces that one might find as too garish to sashay in the public are trousers in hot pink and crimson red, the Arabic Jellaba-inspired shirt for lounge wear in aquamarine and white-and-purple polo tee. Well, if you got the gut and aren't afraid of what the world has to say with your sense of fashion then the Lacoste Spring lineup is made just for you.

Lacoste Spring/Summer 2007 Collection for Men is currently available in Lacoste stores and concessionaires while the Fall/Winter 2007-08 lineup will debut either in late August or early September.

*Photos by Marcio Madeira for Style.com and Vogue.

Lacoste - G353A, Ground Floor High Street Mall, One Utama, Bandar Utama Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya; Explore Floor, Starhill Gallery, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur; 3rd Floor, Isetan Lot 10, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur; 1st Floor, Isetan KLCC, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.